Annals of Oncology Advance Access originally published online on September 12, 2006
Annals of Oncology 2006 17(11):1687-1692; doi:10.1093/annonc/mdl286
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© 2006 European Society for Medical Oncology
urogenital tumors |
Sequential gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by docetaxel as first-line treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma: a multicenter phase II study of the Hellenic Oncology Research Group
1 Second Department of Medical Oncology, "Theagenion" Cancer Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki
2 Department of Medical Oncology, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion; Crete
3 First Department of Medical Oncology, "Metaxa", Anticancer Hospital, Pireas
4 First Department of Propedeutic Medicine of University of Athens, Medical Oncology Unit, "Laikon" Hospital, Athens, Greece
*Correspondence to: Dr I. Boukovinas, Second Department of Medical Oncology, "Theagenion" Cancer Hospital of Thessaloniki, 2 Symeonidou Street, 54007 Thessaloniki, Greece. Tel: +30 2310 898605; Fax: +30 2310 898608; E-mail: ibouk{at}otenet.gr
Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the toxicity and efficacy of the sequential administration of gemcitabine (GMB) in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) followed by docetaxel (Taxotere) as first-line treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma.
Patients and methods: Patients [aged 
70 years and performance status (PS) (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) 0–2] with previously untreated locally advanced/recurrent or metastatic urothelial carcinoma were eligible. Study treatment consisted of GMB (1000 mg/m2, days 1 and 8) and CDDP (70 mg/m2, day 1) (GP regimen), every 21 days for a total of four cycles followed by docetaxel (D; 100 mg/m2, day 1) every 21 days for four cycles.
Results: Thirty-eight patients with a median age of 67 years were enrolled; 67% of them had PS 0 and 87% stage IV disease. Patients received a median of four GP and four D cycles per patient. Grade 3–4 neutropenia occurred in 27% and 63% patients with GP and D, respectively. Grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 11% of patients, only with the GP regimen. Other toxic effects were mild. There was no toxic death. The objective response rate was 55.2% [95% CI: 39.45%–71.07%]. Five patients had complete response (13.15%) and 16 patients had partial response (42.1%), while nine patients had disease stabilization (23.7%) (intention-to-treat analysis). After a median follow-up period of 13 months (range 1.5–40.5 months), the median time to progression was 6.8 months (range 1–40.5 months), the median overall survival 13 months (range 1.5–40.5 months), and the 1-year survival rate 55.3%.
Conclusion: The sequential administration of GP followed by D is active and well tolerated as first-line treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma and merits to be further evaluated.
Key words: bladder cancer, cisplatin, docetaxel, gemcitabine, transitional cell carcinoma